Farming

East Hardwick farmer Rob MacLeod has no more water, and like many farmers, he's heading into winter with limited feed.

Nearly all of Vermont is in a severe to extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The Made Here series features two short documentaries focused on the lives of Vermont women.

A 2023 U.S. Census Bureau report found that nearly 1 in 4 Vermonters said they'd experienced symptoms of anxiety. Studies show that even just petting an animal can reduce stress, lower blood pressure and abate loneliness. Shelburne's New Village Farm invites guests to pet, scratch, hold and snuggle their dog-like herd of Nigerian dwarf, Oberhasli, and French alpine goats.

"When spring comes, it just feels like a new year, almost like a new chapter, a new beginning," says flower farmer Sarah Demars, who co-owns Four Blooms Farm with her husband. The couple's indoor growing operation has been producing tulips for months — and their outdoor tulips are just on the cusp of blooming.

Tommy Hyde's documentary Underdog tells the story of Middlebury farmer and dog musher Doug Butler.

For many Vermont farmers, bird flu poses an especially serious risk this year, amid fears the virus could spread to dairy cattle in the state.

Shepherd In Winter, from filmmaker Andrew Baker, is the latest documentary to premiere on Vermont Public's Made Here series.

The Agency of Agriculture is about to start a USDA-mandated testing program to see if there is bird flu in the milk supply. The state will not require farms that sell raw milk directly to consumers to test their milk.

The 3-acre flower maze — like a corn maze, but no corn — provides a financial backstop for Hoolie Flats Farm, an organic vegetable farm in East Calais.